Holocene dynamic of the East European forest-steppe: climate, human and fire impact

从喀尔巴阡山脉到乌拉尔山脉，有一片广阔的森林草原交错带横穿欧洲。这种由气候决定的森林地区与开阔草原景观的结合，提供了高度的植物多样性，而这种多样性受到日益增加的农业活动的威胁。森林草原区的特点是存在黑钙土，因此代表了世界上最重要的耕作区之一。自旧石器时代以来，该地区被人类积极利用，导致大片地区转变为人为景观。然而，由于现有古数据的数量和分辨率不足，该地区的自然历史在很大程度上是未知的。该项目的主要目标是重建气候变化、火灾和人类影响下的东欧森林草原交错带全新世植被历史。选定的研究区域之间的第聂伯河和顿河位于生态交错带的心脏地带，植被组成非常敏感的温度，降水和人类影响的任何变化。早期人类的影响被游牧民族和农业社会的各种考古文化记录下来。全新世森林-草原动态将根据取自三个关键区域的孢粉学档案进行研究，这些区域沿着一个纬度梯度，从北部相邻的森林到南部的草原，穿过整个生态交错带。为了建立可靠的年龄-深度模型，将使用已确定的陆地植物遗骸，通过AMS-放射性碳方法测定档案的年代。档案将分析岩性，花粉，非花粉palynomorphs，macromasters和木炭在百年到十年的决议。根据这些数据，将重建区域和当地的植被组成、森林覆盖、气候、农业、森林砍伐、火灾历史、侵蚀和牧场。作为该项目的成果，将绘制东欧森林草原全新世植被时空变化图，该项目的成果将为重要的古生态学问题提供答案，如全新世期间东欧森林草原的形成及其植被组成的变化，其对主要气候变化的反应和人为影响，一个转变为现代农业景观的时机。澄清这些问题对于制定整个区域的可持续管理战略十分重要。

An extensive forest-steppe ecotone crosses Europe from the Carpathian to the Ural Mountains. This climatically determined combination of the forested areas with open steppe landscapes accomodates a high plant diversity, which is threatened by increasing agricultural activities. The forest-steppe zone is characterized by the presence of the chernozem soils and therefore represents one of the most important cultivation areas in the world. Since Paleolithic the region is actively used by humans leading to a transformation of the large areas to anthropogenic landscapes. Hitherto, the natural history of the zone is largely unknown as the number and resolution of existing palaeo-data are insufficient. The main goal of this project is to reconstruct the Holocene vegetation history of the East European forest-steppe ecotone under climatic changes, fire, and human impact. The selected study area between the Dnepr and the Don is situated in the heart of the ecotone with a vegetation composition very sensitive to any changes in temperature, precipitation, and human impact. Early human influence is documented by various archaeological cultures of nomads and agricultural societies. The Holocene forest-steppe dynamic will be studied on palynological archives taken from three key regions along a latitudinal gradient crossing the whole ecotone from the adjacent forests in the north to the steppes in the south. For robust age-depth models, the archives will be dated by the AMS-radiocarbon method using determined remains from terrestrial plants. The archives will be analysed for lithology, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, macroremains and charcoals in centennial to decennial resolution. Based on these data, regional and local vegetation composition, forest-cover, climate, agriculture, deforestation, fire history, erosion and pasture will be reconstructed. As a result of the project, maps of the Holocene vegetation change of the East European forest-steppe through space and time will be constructed.The results of the project will provide an answer to important palaeoecological problems such as the formation of the East European forest-steppe and the change of its vegetation composition during the Holocene, its reaction to the major climatic changes and anthropogenic impact, a timing of its transformation to the modern agricultural landscapes. Clarification of such questions is important for the development of the sustainable management strategies of the entire zone.